


Inches

by helloearthlings



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 04:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11050917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloearthlings/pseuds/helloearthlings
Summary: So Arthur wanted to get married – it wasn’t like Merlin didn’t. He was just infinitely more prone to panic about it.





	Inches

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how I feel about this one, took me awhile to churn it out - I love the concept, I'm just worried I focused too much on sappy dialogue and not enough on the deep-seated psychological reasoning involved here, especially since it involves a lot of personal feelings about marriage extrapolated into a long-term relationship. I really hope that you guys like it, please shoot me a comment if you do!

Merlin was struggling with his tie.

Ties, in his opinion, were something that demons or corporate officials created purposefully to ruin Merlin’s life and make him feel like an inept toddler as he struggled to put one on in the morning and make him feel like he was choking on molten lava during the day.

The only positive thing about ties, Merlin had learned sometime in the last year, was that Arthur Pendragon had learned how to tie a double-Windsor knot tie before he learned how to walk and was more than happy to assist his haphazard boyfriend with all tie-tying necessities.

Merlin exited the bedroom to find Arthur in the kitchen reading the newspaper over a pot of coffee because Arthur was a sixty year old trapped inside a twenty-six year old’s body. He half-smiled when he saw Merlin waving the tie in his direction, showing off his crooked teeth that Merlin liked so much.

“Help,” Merlin declared with a soft smile as Arthur took the tie from his outstretched hands, standing up so they were at equal height and, blessedly, looping the demon fabric around Merlin’s neck.

“I don’t see you in ties too often,” Arthur’s lips quirked upward in a slight grin. “Meeting today?”

“With the owners,” Merlin hummed, eying the pot of coffee behind Arthur with appreciation. “Apparently, I should be honored that they asked me to participate, since I’ve only been there a year and a half.”

“They’re impressed with you, though I have no idea way,” Arthur laughed at him, just the right amount of mockery that Merlin had grown accustomed to from him. “Are you gonna come back here tonight or go to yours?”

“I’ll come here as long as you don’t drag me out to the pub or anything – had a long week, would rather have takeaway.”

“Okay, we can do that,” Arthur gave his tie one last pull. “There you go, all done. I’m sure you’ll have loosened it the second your meeting is over.”

“How you wear a tie every day is beyond me,” Merlin muttered, meaning to move past Arthur toward the coffee pot, but Arthur’s hand on his chest stopped him. Arthur began to smooth the creases on the tie, his brow furrowed as he looked down on them with utmost seriousness.

Merlin was about to make a comment about how obsessive compulsive Arthur was about ties when Arthur said, “Quick question. How do you feel about marriage? Like, as a general concept. And then a follow up question – specifically marriage as it involves me?”

Arthur said all of this very quickly, his eyes still steadfastly fixed on the tie.

Merlin’s heart beat a little faster.

“Um,” he said, mouth going a little like sandpaper. “As a concept? I’m not opposed to it by any means. As it regards to you? Well, uh, I’m not raring to go right this minute, but again. Not opposed to it. That…didn’t sound very romantic. Uh. Someday? Someday would be nice. How long have you been thinking about asking that?”

“Since you came out here wearing a tie,” Arthur muttered under his breath, cheeks turning a little pink. Merlin, despite the bit of adrenaline in his veins, leaned in to peck Arthur’s lips.

“Someday, yeah. That’s my answer for now. I have to get to my meeting, okay? I’ll see you tonight.”

Despite the fact that Merlin didn’t need to be there for another forty-five minutes and the pot of coffee was calling his name, he quickly exited Arthur’s apartment, though the adrenaline didn’t slow as he walked the two blocks to the nearest Tube station.

He hoped he hadn’t hurt Arthur’s feelings, because it wasn’t like Merlin didn’t care about him or love him or want to be with him or maybe marry him, _someday_.

It was just that this past year with Arthur was the longest relationship Merlin had ever had, that he was still getting used to moving around another person and considering him in all of his decision-making, in making conscious effort to create space for another human being in his life. Merlin had never been the type to tie himself down with another person, had been going at the world alone for a while, and wasn’t used to answering to someone for anything.

Merlin had never really thought seriously about marrying Arthur before because the beginning of their relationship had been so rocky, barbed wire insults traded for awkward but well-meaning dates, traded for jealousy over their lack of exclusivity, traded for the beginnings of something special and precious and long-lasting –

But still just the _beginnings_ of it.

* * *

 

That was the first time Arthur mentioned marriage, but certainly not the last. It wasn’t like he was leaving wedding magazines around his apartment, or pointed out rings in store windows, or gave Merlin expectant looks at other people’s weddings or anything too horribly cliché.

And it wasn’t like he was placing expectations on Merlin, that was the thing. He knew Merlin was skittish, had never really given much thought to marriage before their relationship, was having trouble giving up some of his autonomy to make room for Arthur in his life.

Arthur knew all that, and he didn’t push, at least not very hard, but after that day, Arthur took Merlin’s ‘someday’ as permission to casually mention marriage a little more often.

It wasn’t anything serious – just casual comments like when Merlin said he thought white flowers were prettier than colored ones and Arthur said “Well, I guess I’ll have to remember that for Valentine’s Day. Or for the bouquets at our wedding.”

Or the time when Gwaine asked them when the big day was, more referring to Arthur meeting Merlin’s mother, and Arthur made some joke like “Well, I think someone has to do the asking first,” and Merlin’s heart sped up a little at the idea.

The most memorable time was when Merlin tagged along with one of Arthur’s business trips up to Scotland and they toured one of the castles near Edinburgh because Arthur had an affinity with all things medieval and Merlin liked it when his boyfriend was happy and enthusiastic about something, running about the castle in childlike glee.

They had passed one of the main foyers, a stony cathedral-like room that was well beyond the size of any room they had passed thus far, and Arthur had said “Look, they do weddings here.”

“That’s nice,” Merlin said, meaning it, not yet associating the castle and his own relationship in his mind. “I wonder if there’s one going on this weekend.”

“This would be a nice place to get married, wouldn’t it?” Arthur leaned against Merlin’s arm a little more heavily and Merlin connected the dots.

He was pretty sure he said, _yeah, it would_ , but wasn’t certain that any actual words came out. He knew that he hadn’t gone running for the forest surrounding the castle and never returned, so he thought that whatever his reaction was could have definitely been a lot worse.

So Arthur wanted to get married – it wasn’t like Merlin _didn’t_. He was just infinitely more prone to _panic_ about it.

* * *

 

Merlin chose to be ignorant most of the time about this particular subject, but still, what happened on their two year anniversary should not have been as much of a surprise as it was.

Arthur wanted to take him out for a fancy dinner in a fancy place, which was fine for one night a year – Arthur was a traditionalist, and a sodding romantic at that, and Merlin could give him his one night at the Four Seasons so long as they could go out the pub with their friends the next night.

But Arthur seemed nervous and Arthur didn’t get nervous about going to dinner with Merlin, only about going to dinner with his father, who Merlin had nothing in common with, so Arthur shouldn’t have been nervous at all.

But he was, and Merlin didn’t put the pieces together until Arthur slid a ring box across the table and his eyes darted between Merlin and the floor as if he were about to go down on one knee in the middle of a crowded restaurant but didn’t want to make a scene because he was insecure and what if Merlin said –

“Arthur,” Merlin whispered, staring at the box, his heart filling up equally with affection and absolute, bone-crushing dread.

“I –” Arthur started, his smile anxious but genuine, oh so genuine, and this was going to be the most painful experience of Merlin’s life. He _hated_ letting Arthur down. “I know its cliché, doing it in a restaurant, but I refrained from putting it in a champagne glass, at the very least.”

“ _Arthur_ ,” Merlin whispered, throat suddenly like sandpaper, his eyes never leaving the ring box, but the absolute heart-wrenching answer was already waiting for him, just under his numb tongue.

Arthur knew Merlin too well, for his anxious smile suddenly turned sad, a shuddering breath coming from his lungs. Hating himself, Merlin’s eyes involuntarily went to Arthur’s – brighter blue than ever, his lip trembling as he looked at Merlin not with anger or disappointment, but crestfallen and heavy with emotion.

“I guess I didn’t kneel for a reason,” Arthur said, voice just on the side of shaky as he bit his lower lip hard enough that Merlin knew it hurt. “I – I’m sorry. I should’ve – I should’ve –”

“Arthur,” Merlin repeated, hand involuntarily reaching for Arthur’s, misery in his stomach at the idea of causing Arthur pain, but Arthur didn’t help as he twitched away.

“I’ll just – leave you alone for a moment,” Arthur said a bit weakly, and hurried to stand and move out of the crowded restaurant.

It took Merlin a few seconds to follow, his reaction time slowed by the utter shock his body was experiencing.

He pushed through the restaurant, eyes following the top of Arthur’s head which was easy to spot. He sped up his pace in order to cut Arthur off with an arm blocking his entrance to the bathroom door, but Arthur didn’t even look up at him, just side-stepped away, and it was then that Merlin remembered the brightness in his eyes from earlier, and how Arthur hated it when others saw him cry.

“Let me through, please,” Arthur muttered under his breath, trying to sound commanding but quite spectacularly failing, the misery in his voice evident, and Merlin didn’t stop himself from wrapping Arthur in a tight hug that Arthur just barely returned.

“I love you,” Merlin whispered into Arthur’s suit jacket. “You know I love you, right? It’s not because I don’t love you, or because I – I don’t want to be with you – I love you so much, you have to know that.”

“I know,” Arthur whispered back, hands finally moving around Merlin’s waist, but Merlin could tell that Arthur hadn’t been certain until that moment why Merlin couldn’t marry him.

“It’s just – it’s still all so new,” Merlin said, pulling away to look Arthur in the eye so that Arthur could know that Merlin was telling the truth. “I – I haven’t even moved in with you yet. I haven’t met your father. We’ve never – taken a big vacation together. Or spent longer than a week apart. There are just so many more milestones, and I – I’m not ready to get married yet.”

“I just,” Arthur smiled, strained but understanding, at least, “thought it was good timing, with you moving in in December and your promotion coming up – I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”

“I want to marry you, Arthur, I really do,” Merlin said, completely honestly, and Arthur’s smile became just a touch more genuine, but his eyes betrayed him, still heavy with lost hope. “I don’t ever want to be with anyone else. It’s you and me – always. You’re…you’re the first person I’ve ever loved, Arthur. And I know you’ll be the last, too; I’m still getting used to it all. Marriage…it’s just all so much, so fast. It’s overwhelming. It’s telling people and making invitations and setting a date and talking about kids and I’m not _ready_ for that yet.”

“I pushed too hard,” Arthur said with a steely look on his face that read that he was already working on compartmentalizing this night and never thinking about it again, which Merlin didn’t want at all. Arthur had been sweet tonight and put himself out on a line that Merlin had quite rudely snapped with a pair of scissors to let him fall into the canyon below, and Merlin –

“Wait for me,” Merlin asked, taking one of Arthur’s hands, pulling him away from the door when another man side-stepped them, and the lack of comfort in having this conversation in a public place became all the clearer. “Please – I’ll say yes someday, just please give me some more time. I promise that I – I’ll never change my mind and decide I don’t want to be with you. That’s not what this is.”

“I know,” Arthur said, and for the first time, sounded almost at peace with the idea, though his expression was still melancholy, which Merlin absolutely didn’t blame him for. “I think I knew from the beginning – that nothing about you was going to be easy. I love you, though,” he added hurriedly,”– and of course I can wait for you. You’re…you’re so good to me when I’ve been an utter ass to you, and you’ve...you’ve done nothing wrong. I should’ve waited.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, either, I just – I only just now got used to the idea of getting married at all, let alone now,” Merlin put an arm around Arthur’s shoulder and steered him away from the bathroom hallway and back into the dining room. “Let’s just – pay and go home, okay? We can eat leftovers and watch anything you want.”

Arthur followed him which Merlin took as assent to his idea, and they returned to their empty table – entirely empty, actually, and it was then Merlin remembered he didn’t take the ring box with him when he chased Arthur down.

And now it wasn’t on the table anymore.

“Did you –?” Arthur began to ask and Merlin mutely shook his head, turning to Arthur, a bit scared of how this one last awful thing would make Arthur trigger-shy of ever doing anything sweet or emotional again.

Instead, Arthur just started laughing, at first a little desperately and then just open-mouthed, genuine guffaws that made people at the other tables turn to theirs with judging expressions. Merlin stared down at Arthur, a bit bemused, but eventually started giggling along with him at the sheer absurdity of the night.

“Well, I guess the universe _really_ didn’t want tonight to go well,” Arthur chuckled, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. “I think it’s a sign, though, that my proposing is never going to go down well – I’m going to cede that duty to you. You propose – whenever you’re ready, you propose. That way I’m not putting pressure on you or anything. It’s is all up to you now – I quit.”

“That –” Merlin’s heart felt almost settled at the idea, his nerves calming, the fear of Arthur’s expectations evaporating just slightly. “That would be perfect. Thank you.”

It took longer than usual to pay, since it was such a nice place, but eventually the two of them ended up walking hand in hand down the darkened streets, foregoing the Tube station entirely, just quietly walking in each other’s presence.

“Are you upset?” Merlin asked quietly when they were about halfway to Arthur’s flat.

Arthur looked up at him through lidded eyes, his profile striking in the setting sun, and Merlin felt a pang of disappointment that he couldn’t say yes and just give Arthur what he wanted – but that wouldn’t have been right.

“I’m not upset, or – or angry, especially not with you,” Arthur said, eyes hitting the pavement instead of meeting Merlin’s own. “Mainly with myself for not realizing. I guess I’m mainly just….sad.”

“I’ll never change my mind,” Merlin said quietly, honestly, with raw intensity that he wasn’t accustomed to articulating out loud, “about being with you. You’re…my only….my _only_. I love you so much.”

“I think you’ve told me that more times tonight than any other night we’ve ever spent together,” Arthur’s lips quirked up in a smile that was almost bright. “I’ll never change my mind either.”

Merlin’s heavy heart felt a little lighter as he laced his fingers with Arthur’s, winding their way back home.

* * *

 

“Happy 747th day of being together!”

Arthur gave Merlin a questioning ‘what kind of idiot are you today’ kind of look as he peered into the box Merlin held out in front of him, tantalizing him with the smell as he watched football. Merlin had just gotten home from work – rare was the day that Arthur beat him home, but he had stopped at the bakery on a whim to surprise him with something special.

“It’s…cake?” Arthur looked down into the box and then back up at Merlin with his head quirked to the side, but he wasn’t smiling, which made Merlin’s enthusiasm taper as he lowered the box.

“Raspberry cheesecake,” Merlin deflated, setting the box on the coffee table where Arthur’s feet were propped up. “Your favorite.”

“To celebrate…what was it? Seven hundred something days? What, are you going to spoon-feed it to me next?”

“Only if you were a real prat about it,” Merlin’s brow furrowed, lowering himself to sit on the coffee table so that he and Arthur were opposite one another. Arthur’s eyes betrayed just a touch of annoyance and anger as he moved his feet so that Merlin could sit. “What’s your problem?”

They’d been okay for the past couple of weeks, since the disastrous evening that Arthur had never brought up again. Merlin had tried to talk about it a few more times – though he and his emotions were rarely on the same page, he felt as if Arthur deserved to know more about why Merlin said no, about how trapped Merlin had felt all of his life, about how terrified he was of tying himself down to someone forever, but how he still wanted it if his person was Arthur, but it would take time for Merlin to actually be excited about a wedding ceremony.

About how Merlin had never been serious about anyone before, how Arthur was the first person Merlin had really fallen for, that he truly believed that they were meant to be, that even though Merlin complete all by himself, Arthur made him the best version possible of himself, it was just difficult to spend your life thinking that you had no one and then suddenly you had _someone_ , constant, all the time, forever.

And how glad Merlin was for that.

And how he would find a way to fit in with this life he never dreamed for himself, he just needed a little more time.

But Arthur had cut him off, changed the subject – didn’t avoid Merlin, just avoided emotional conversations, _real_ conversations, and Merlin knew that he was unhappy, he just didn’t know how to fix it.

But apparently Arthur was ready to air his grievances now, his eyes tetchy and mouth set in a frown.

“You’ve just been too _bloody_ nice,” Arthur growled slightly, and suddenly he was standing, pacing about the room, because Arthur hated sitting still, needed to moving, needed action at all times. “I’m not about to break, Merlin – I’m perfectly fine with waiting to get married. But you don’t need to go to all these weird lengths to apologize for refusing me.”

“I’m not…. _apologizing,_ ” Merlin started, the pricks of anger and confusion growing in his chest and Arthur sighed.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said a bit gruffly, not making eye contact as he examined the kitchen wall. “Just – we haven’t argued at all these past two weeks. And we argue all the time. And you’re always going out of your way to be as sweet as you can. Like with the fucking cheesecake. I don’t need a cheesecake to prove that you still love me, Merlin. I’ve figured that out through all the bloody times you’ve said it since…”

“I…didn’t realize you were taking it that way,” Merlin said quietly after registering this new information. “I wasn’t – trying to make up for saying no. well, maybe a little. I just thought…I’ve always been so poor at expressing how I feel about you, and you weren’t letting me do much talking about it, ergo….the cheesecake. And I love yous. And cuddling, and movies, and whatever else you didn’t like – I’ll stop. I didn’t realize it was bothering you.”

“You don’t have to stop all of it,” Arthur made his way back to the couch with a pained look in Merlin’s direction. “I just…want you to be _you_ and not catering to my every need. As nice as that is, I like you because you _don’t_ do that. Ever. So just…stop treating me like I’m heartbroken and you need to fix it. I’m not fragile.”

“I know,” Merlin said, moving to sit next to Arthur instead of across from him, pulling Arthur’s head into his lap. Arthur let it happen, his eyes heavily lidded as he stared up at Merlin, still a bit saddened, as they had been since that night, but the anger was gone.

Merlin pressed a kiss to Arthur’s temple and hoped that they could move past this – because he really did believe that he’d never love anyone but Arthur. He just hoped Arthur understood that.

* * *

 

A few months later, a song was playing on the radio. Merlin had heard it a few times before, but never when Arthur was around, but today they were driving up to Arthur’s father’s estate for the obligatory meet-my-terrifying-father weekend. Merlin hadn’t paid very close attention the lyrics of the song before, but looked at Arthur’s profile in the setting sun, Merlin suddenly grew very aware of the music.

_I knew I needed you, but I never showed…I wanna stay with you, until we’re grey and old…_

“We should dance to this song,” Merlin said without giving it much thought, “when we get married.”

Arthur’s mouth parted just slightly in surprise, but when he turned to Merlin it was with a fragile and hopeful expression. “You don’t like dancing.”

“Well, you have to dance at your wedding,” Merlin pointed out, heart thumping a bit, now giving his words much more thought. “Even if it’s just for one song.”

The next time they spoke, it was about something else; the subject was gone but clearly not forgotten, Arthur buoyant and happier throughout the trip than Merlin could have imagine one comment could make him.

Merlin thought a bit more.

* * *

 

“Arthur, can I _please_ convince you to take a week off from work for your birthday?”

“A week?” Arthur’s expression as he glanced up at Merlin form his laptop was torn between _ooh something for me_ and _I cannot possibly miss work for that long because without structure I will die_. “Dare I ask why?”

“ _Because_ ,” Merlin rolled his eyes. “It’s your _birthday_. And _I_ thought that I would take you on a grand tour of English and Scottish castles because you have an unhealthy obsession with all things castle-related and I’m a really great boyfriend who has decided to enable such an obsession.”

Arthur grinned blindingly, shutting his laptop, which meant that he had chosen the _ooh something for me_ option, which Merlin thought he might. “I like the sound of that.”

“I’m not even going to make it a two-for-one and say it’s your anniversary present, too,” Merlin said, giving a true show of his benevolence.

“Since our anniversary’s not for another six months, that would be a little rude of you,” Arthur pointed out, standing up to wrap his arms around Merlin and peck his lips in thanks. “Besides, I’m the one who does romantic things on our anniversary. That’s _my_ job.”

“Is it now?” Merlin laughed. “I can’t do something nice for you this year?”

“Well, you’re doing _this_ for my birthday,” Arthur pointed out like Arthur wasn’t going to do something extravagant for Merlin’s birthday to one-up him. “And I’ve always been the anniversary-guy. You _forgot_ our first one, as I recall. And last year, we went to that weird as fuck experimental theatre thing that you like so much that I thought was pointless. And I don’t think we need to talk about our second anniversary.”

“Probably not,” Merlin agreed, kissing Arthur again, begging silently to anyone who was listening for the subject to be changed. “Alright, you can have our anniversary, but you _will_ take the week of your birthday off of work, because I’ve already planned the trip.”

“Without me?” Arthur fake-pouted. Or maybe real-pouted, it was always hard to tell. “I like planning trips.”

“Let me do the nice thing for you! It’s _my_ nice thing, Arthur!” Merlin argued, relieved that they had reached a new idea to banter about.

He didn’t want Arthur to guess anything about the ring he had ordered yesterday.

* * *

 

Merlin wanted it now.

The longer he spent with Arthur, the more he knew it for certain – he wanted to marry Arthur, to have a family with him, to spend every possible moment with him, to vow to never leave him, to take care of him always, all of the above and more.

And it took him awhile to realize that he didn’t just want it as some future hypothetical, as some comforting idea for when he hit middle-age.

He wanted it right this very second, and he wanted Arthur to know he wanted it.

The ring was only a natural response, as was the castle tour, knowing that it would be all the more special if he could do it in the exact room in the castle in Scotland where Arthur had said _this would be a nice place to get married_ , because if it was a nice place to get married, then surely Arthur wouldn’t be opposed to a proposal there, too.

Arthur’s actual birthday fell on Wednesday, so that was the day Merlin scheduled to visit that exact castle. That way, Arthur might not expect it if he had any suspicions, having already been to two other castles, and they could still spend the majority of the trip engaged.

As long as Arthur said yes, of course – which he would. Of course he would.

But Merlin had said no, so he might deserve to hear a no in return.

He knew it was irrational, but it didn’t stop him from being worried. Luckily, Arthur was so caught up in swords and shields and other memorabilia for a forgotten era that he remained very unobservant of the fact.

For once, Arthur’s unobservant nature would pay off.

On the day of, walking through the castle grounds, Merlin was certain that Arthur could hear his heart thumping, sense the weight of the ring box in Merlin’s jacket pocket. Merlin was all too aware of both of those facts.

Still, he managed to say, “Hey, follow me for a second,” without choking to Arthur when they passed what Merlin hoped was the large antechamber where the weddings were held. He checked the sign on the way – it said something, at least, about marriage.

“What is it? I don’t want to miss anything,” Arthur said, energy high and smile bright, all the more relaxed the more time they spent away from London, which Merlin also hoped would work in his favor.

“I –” Merlin started, voice like sandpaper, realizing that he spent so much time thinking of how to get Arthur to this point, he didn’t actually have a substantial plan for the actual asking part of the deal.

Arthur blinked at him, a little confused, but there was something in his eyes that told Merlin maybe this would be easier than he thought.

Merlin reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box. He chanced a look at Arthur, who’s face suddenly broke into a brilliant smile when he caught sight of it.

“I…I don’t want to wait anymore,” Merlin said quietly, hopefully, staring over at Arthur as he opened the box. “I….Arthur, will you….?”

Arthur didn’t actually let him finish the question before he lunged at Merlin, pulling him into a fierce and heavy kiss which Merlin was more than happy to reciprocate.

“Yes,” Arthur said breathlessly as they pulled apart. “I thought maybe….but then you hadn’t so far. And then today….I thought I’d have to wait another year, at least. Are you – are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Merlin laughed incredulously. “I mean, I planned this whole bloody trip, I picked to propose in the castle where you wanted to get married –”

“What?” Arthur’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Years ago, we were here on one of your business trips and you said you wanted to get married here and I internally panicked a little,” Merlin explained hurriedly. “But I’m not panicking anymore – it’s supposed to be symbolic of growth and…you know, that kind of sappy stuff.”

And then Arthur started laughing, eyes tearing up with mirth. Merlin frowned at him. “What? I’m proposing! I’m allowed to be romantic!”

“It’s not that,” Arthur giggled into his hand. “It’s just – that that wasn’t this castle, Merlin. That was near Edenborough and we’re closer to _Glasgow_ right now. God, you’re hopeless.”

“Well, that’s why I’m marrying you,” Merlin said, beginning to laugh now as well, not even angry that his proposal had not gone exactly to plan. There was a yes. That was all that mattered. He was going to get married to the love of his life. “So you can do geography for me. Obviously.”

“That’s the only reason, I’m sure.”

“Can’t think of a better one,” Merlin said, and kissed him again.


End file.
